1. Field of The Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of computer devices, and in particular, to an adapter element in the shape of a diskette for insertion into a floppy disk drive, which is designed to receive a plurality of memory modules or cards therein.
2. Background Information
There is known a so-called "smart-diskette," which is a device having the external shape of, for example, a standard 31/2 inch diskette, and which contains therein, instead of and/or in addition to a magnetic medium (disk), interface and processing circuitry for providing particular functionality to the device. The known smart-diskette circuitry includes an interface for transferring data between other components provided on the device and/or inserted into the device, and a magnetic head of a standard floppy disk drive into which the device can be inserted. In various forms, the smart-diskette device may include a microprocessor for controlling the device and performing various tasks, such as data encryption. On-board memory may be provided as well in the form of, for example, RAM (random access memory), ROM (read only memory), EEPROM (electronically erasable/programmable read only memory), and/or Flash memory, for storing programs and data. The device circuitry may be provided in the form of discrete components or an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC).
U.S. Pat. No. 5,159,182, and copending application Ser. No. 08/420,796 still pending, disclose embodiments of a smart-diskette insertable element with magnetic interface, processor, power supply and optional display and keypad, designed to be inserted into a standard 31/2 inch floppy disk drive of a host computer, i.e., electronic data processing (EDP) equipment, such as a desk-top personal computer (PC) or notebook computer, for example.
An exemplary embodiment of the smart-diskette insertable element disclosed in the above-mentioned patent and application, has a processor with some built-in program/data memory, additional memory for storing data and/or programs, and an interface designed to facilitate the exchange of data between the device and a floppy disk drive read/write head. A driver and coil of the interface convert signals from the processor into the required magnetic form and provide them to the read/write head of a floppy disk drive, and likewise convert signals received from the floppy disk drive read/write head into the required form for use by the processor.
A significant advantage of the smart-diskette insertable element is that, by virtue of its insertability into the standard, ubiquitous, floppy disk drive, and interfaceability therewith, it is possible to carry-out a variety of operations with the processor and/or memory on the element. These include but are not limited to encryption and decryption of data and/or verification of user identity. Such operations are accomplished without requiring any specially designed interface or plug-in boards which might be suitable only for use with a limited number of computer systems. Another advantageous feature of the smart-diskette insertable element is its ability to store additional data and/or programs in on-board and/or add-on memory connected with the on-board processor. This considerably increases the potential areas of application for the element.
The smart-diskette element disclosed in the above patent and application, may be equipped with a battery power source supplying power to the electronic components within the element, and/or a generator/alternator, with associated regulator circuitry, driven by the rotation of a floppy disk drive spindle.
As mentioned, the interface of the smart-diskette insertable element is designed to allow data to be exchanged with the read/write head of a floppy disk drive, and one way this can be achieved is by locating an electromagnetic component on the element, e.g., one or more coils, to be in the vicinity of the read/write head of the floppy disk drive when the element is inserted into the drive, and which generates magnetic field information equivalent to that generated by a magnetic disk of a standard floppy diskette. In this way, the interface simulates a magnetic floppy diskette. This property of the interface allows data to be transferred under control of the on-board processor to the EDP, e.g., data which enables user identification to be verified, thereby providing security to the EDP equipment, or any of a number of other operations, as would be recognized by one skilled in the art. As processor capabilities expand and memory devices with increasing capacity become smaller, the smart-diskette takes on the potential for more and more useful applications.
Related U.S. Pat. No. 5,471,038 discloses a read/write unit with a read/write head and optional electrical contacts, but without the standard disk driving and head moving parts, for use in a desk-top PC or notebook computer to communicate with a smart-diskette. By eliminating the drive motor and moving read/write heads, a significant amount of energy which would otherwise expended by the use of such moving parts is conserved.
Further, such a read/write unit, since it eliminates bulky drive and head motors, can be made more compact than a standard floppy disk drive, thereby reducing the overall size and weight requirements for the computer in which it is installed.
Related copending application Ser. No. 08/514,382 discloses a pocket interface unit (PIU) for use with a smart-diskette. Pocket calculators and diary devices are known and gaining acceptance with busy executives, for example. However, such devices have numerous limitations and disadvantages. For example, although such devices can interface with a desk-top computer to download application programs and/or data, for example, or to upload data entered on the pocket device to the desk-top computer, to do so currently requires inconvenient cabling, and/or a special interface unit, e.g., PCMCIA, with associated costs. Some devices use infra-red beams to communicate between the device and the PC, but these are subject to atmospheric and distance limitations, or may be subject to errors due to dust or dirt on a lens, for example.
In addition, such pocket devices are generally limited to a single special application, such as a phone directory, or a golf-handicap calculator, and do not generally provide the range of capabilities of a notebook computer, for example. Pocket-sized pagers and cellular telephones are also known. However, these respective devices do not generally have the capability of functioning as anything except a pager or telephone, that is, they are generally devices which are dedicated to a single function. Therefore, the fully-equipped, fully-functional executive may be burdened by having to carry around a variety of separate devices, which further disadvantageously cannot readily interface with one another.
The PIU, disclosed in the copending application, for use with a smart-diskette, overcomes these and other problems, as well as providing other advantages over the prior art.
Related U.S. Pat. No. 5,584,043 discloses a smart-diskette adapted to receive at least one memory and/or processor card, such as an ATM, patient information, or bank debit card, FlashPROM card, or the like. For example, FIG. 5a of the patent illustrates an embodiment adapted for receiving at least one mini-chip card. This disclosed device could be used with the recently developed MMC (MultiMediaCard made by Siemens/SanDisk), or the SSFDC also called a SmartMediaCard (SMC, made by Toshiba).
The so-called MultiMediaCards (MMCs) provide small, transportable audio/video media storage in the form of a card substrate carrying a memory, and an optional processor in some cases, which can be inserted into a number of different media recording/playback devices specifically adapted to receive the MMCs. The MMC memory currently can store, for example, about 8 megabytes of digitized video and/or audio signals. Typically, contacts on the MMC are be used to connect and transfer the digitized video/audio to a media recorder or playback device.
However, if it was desired to load such data onto an MMC from a personal computer or vice versa, until the advent of the smart-diskette embodiment disclosed in the above mentioned patent, which is adapted to receive at least one memory card, such as an MMC, a special add-on device would have been required.
A variety of so-called Flash memory devices (FlashPROMs) have also become known and are more and more widely used, for example, in digital cameras. The above-mentioned MMCs may use Flash memory or any other type of non-volatile memory. However, presently, FlashPROMs typically have a capacity of only about 8 megabytes each, which may limit their usefulness under some circumstances, e.g., for application when more storage capacity is required.
As mentioned, to make full use of the MMCs as proposed, until now, a user would need an entirely new recording/playback device designed with a port for interconnecting with the MMCs to make use of them in their home. In other words, the existing conventional user playback/recording equipment does not generally interface with the newly developed MMCs.
Therefore, a need existed for an adapter device which could permit use of the new MMCs with the existing conventional electronic equipment, such as home/auto recording/playback equipment. Related copending application Ser. No. 09/013,036, still pending meets this need and discloses an adapter for use in adapting a conventional cassette tape playback/recording device with a plurality of Flash memory devices, MMCs, or the like, which store digitized audio, for example. The adapter provides a way of adapting one or more MMCs to conventional recording playback devices, such as a conventional audio or video cassette player. The adapter inserted into a conventional tape device interfaces the tape device with one or more removable storage circuits (e.g., MMCs) which store digital audio and/or video data. By accommodating a number of MMCs at once, a user can advantageously record and/or playback an extended audio or visual work with the adapter.
Of course, MMCs, Flash-memory devices, and the like, can be put to other uses besides storing audio and/or video/image data for use in a home or automobile system. They can be used to store any type of digital data imaginable. However, the inventive adapter disclosed in the copending application is in the form of a tape cassette, i.e., audio, video, or digital (e.g., DAT). While digital tape drives are available as relatively expensive add-on devices for personal computers, these tape drives are not as ubiquitous as the floppy disk drive which are provided with practically every personal computer as a standard feature.
In view of the above background information, to take further advantage of some of the possibilities of MMCs, Flash-memory devices, and the like, and to overcome problems in the art, the inventors have invented the improved adapter described in detail below.